Improvement in machines for stretching hat-bodies



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R.EIGKEMEYER.

Machines for Stretching Hat Bodies No. 135,033, Patentedian.21,1873.

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R. EICKEMEYER.

Machines fqr Stretching Hat Bodies.

No. 135,033, PatentedJan-21,I873.

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R. EIGKEMEYERB Machines for Stretching Hat Bodies.

N0.135,033, Patentedlan.2i,1873.

Jiyfl d E 1 I vww j M g 'IIHIIHH 9 r [H l al M o I J L w L! l l l E vidl f? 9 AM. Mara-'muosnAPmc ca Mx(asaan-ss Pnncess) UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF EIGKEMEYER, or YONKERS, 'nEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR STRETCHING HAT-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,033, dated January21, 1873.

. To all whom it may concern:

Stretching Hat-Bodies; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and correct description thereof.

My invention relates to machinery for stretching the tipsof hat-bodieswhile in a folded state.

A machine for this purpose was patented by Augustus Peleisse, January 4,1870, which answers for stretching brims, but cannot properly stretchthe tips of hat-bodies, because, in order to stretch the tips in thatmachine thehatbody must be so placed between the stretchingjaws that thesquare is coincident with the center of vibration of the jaws, insteadof the center of the tip being coincident, or nearly so, with the centerof vibration of the stretchingjaws, as in my improved machine.

My invention consists, first, in a new combination and arrangement ofholding and stretching jaws, wherein the arms or levers which form theupper and the lower holding and stretching jaws are crossed and jointedtogether in a manner similar to a pair of pliers, and the two pairs ofarms or levers so crossed and jointed together are hinged together attheir rear end, the construction being such, substantially ashereinafter described, that, by placing the hat-body between the jaws sothat the centerof the tip is coincident, or nearly so, with the centerof lateral vibration of the jaws, it' will be stretched upon the square,as will be hereinafter explained. My invention further consists incombining the jaws with a rotating shaft through a system of cams andlevers whereby the jaws are operated automatically to take hold of thehat-body presented by the operator, then stretch it, and afterwardrelease it without any other action of the operator than to present andremove the hat-body.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 isa perspective front elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the sidestandard removed.

Letter a is a bed plate, upon which is placed three uprights, frames,orstandards, a a a", which support the various parts of the machine. I)b are two levers, hinged together crosswise upon a vertical fulcrum-pin,c, attached to a bent lever, d. The two levers thus hinged togetherconstitute the upper jaw of the stretching device. 0 c are twosimilarly-crossed levers constituting the lower jaw, hinged togetherupon a vertical fulcrumpin, f, in the top of the standard a and in line,or nearly so, with the fulcrum pin 0. These two sets of crossed leversare jointed together at their rear ends by the horizontal coupling-boltsg g. The holding-surfaces of the upper and lower jaws are roughened orscored, as shown in the drawing.

The lower jaw being firmly supported by the standard a the hat-body isgrasped between the upper and lower jaws by the action of a cam, It,upon the rotating shaft 'i, which cam at the proper time acts'againstthe roller j attached to the bent lever d, to move said lever and holdit so as to grasp and hold the hatbody between the jaws during therequired time for imparting the lateral motion to the jaws by which thehat-body is stretched.

The bent lever d is made in two parts, d and d, both pivoted on thehorizontal shaft k, supported by bearings in the standards a and a, andthe two parts are attached together by a bolt and nut coupling, 1,having an India-rubber spring, Z, interposed, so as to compensate forhat-bodies of different thicknesses,

as well as to provide against breakage of the machine. A spiral spring,m, actuates the bent lever d in opposition to the action of the cam.

The jaws are vibrated laterally to stretch the hat-body by means of twoconical cams, n 12, attached to the rotating shaft 1'. These conicalcams act upon rollers attached to the lower corners of two swingingframes, 1) p, which are respectively attached to the crosslevers thatform the lower jaw. These two swinging frames are also pivoted upon avertical pivot, q, in line under the pivots of the upper and lower jaws.A U-formed spring,

r, actuates the jaws in opposition to the action of the conical cams. Tostretch the tip, the hat-body is placed between the jaws so that thecenter of the tip is coincident, or nearly so, with the fulcrum of thecrossed levers, as shown at Fig. 1'.

I do not claim stretching the brim of a hat in a folded state, as thatis well done by the invention above referred to; but

I do c1aim---- A hatstretching machine in which the radially-expandingjaws are automatically brought together to clamp, and spread to stretch,the body, substantially as described.

R. EIOKEMEYER.

Witnesses:

F. O. TREADWELL, J r., I. A. POTTER.

